Support for moms unable to breastfeed - Page 3

[bdavis337]

Woot! I got some REGLAN the other night at the ER (long story, high bp related visit to the hospital yesterday) via IV and within 2 hours my milk came in like a flood. Tiffany, it was RUNNING DOWN MY SHIRT! Only on one side, but then today after a few bf sessions, Jeffrey has had a ginormous bm poop and he's lasted nearly 90 minutes between sessions. He at at 9, it's almost 11 right now and my nipples are tingly and actually sore, perhaps that my version of a letdown? My gosh this just might work for a while...........

We have been supp'ing with formula, just an ounce here and there and only after a nursing session if he's still fussy and rooting and he's been sucking for more than 40 minutes or so. Been using a large syringe to do that.

[MamaBear1976]

Originally Posted by bdavis337

Woot! I got some REGLAN the other night at the ER (long story, high bp related visit to the hospital yesterday) via IV and within 2 hours my milk came in like a flood. Tiffany, it was RUNNING DOWN MY SHIRT! Only on one side, but then today after a few bf sessions, Jeffrey has had a ginormous bm poop and he's lasted nearly 90 minutes between sessions. He at at 9, it's almost 11 right now and my nipples are tingly and actually sore, perhaps that my version of a letdown? My gosh this just might work for a while...........

We have been supp'ing with formula, just an ounce here and there and only after a nursing session if he's still fussy and rooting and he's been sucking for more than 40 minutes or so. Been using a large syringe to do that.

That's great you have a lot of milk now. Wow, IV Reglan, directly in the vein. I wonder how I can score some of that. J/K!! Seriously, though, I'll bet the lactogenic effects were immediate.

ETA: Congratulations on your beautiful baby!!

[bumblebeej]

Wonderful news!

[bdavis337]

AND, I just found a FREE bf'ing clinic at the other hospital in town. THey have an IBCLC on staff, it's walk-in and I can use it any day m-f. I'm so psyched it's practically sick. I'[ve been hand-expressing after he eats, and I get about 1/4 oz, which I put into a syringe for him. He's getting about 4 oz formula throughout the day as well, but that's way less than I expected. And he's not overly sleepy to signal a lack of enough to eat.

[bdavis337]

Originally Posted by MamaBear1976

That's great you have a lot of milk now. Wow, IV Reglan, directly in the vein. I wonder how I can score some of that. J/K!! Seriously, though, I'll bet the lactogenic effects were immediate.

ETA: Congratulations on your beautiful baby!!

I know! And the funny thing is, I was so upset and frustrated last night I didn't even put it all together - I knew it was Reglan, I thought "hmmm, Reglan, better look that up and make sure it's ok to bf...". When I started leaking I cried like a baby, saying "if they admit me for eclampsia this will all be for nothing and I'll never get to try to nurse him....". Silly me. They pushed a huge syringe of a lactogenic drug directly into my veins!

[SleepyMamaBear]

WAHOOO!OOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
oh Bethany i am seriously crying huge tears of joy for you over here!!!!
thats SO wonderful! oh mama!
way to go lady!
eat up big boy all that mama milk is going to get you super chubs!

[bdavis337]

So far today's been pretty good, lactationally speaking. He's ben eating every 90 minutes or 2 hours. It's kind of tiring really, takes him nearly 45 minutes and I have to switch sides several times b/c he stops sucking or falls asleep. He also only sucks when I'm doing breast compressions, so my boobs are really, incredibly sore. His latch is a little funny, he sucks his lower lip in and almost gums me with his lower jaw, so we're going to visit an IBCLC next week for some assistance, and a weight check.

All this is great, but it's not realistic for me to be able to spend 45 minutes every 90 minutes sitting and feeding him once Tom goes back to work next week (with two other children around, ages 6 and 2, I can't figure out how that will work). But he's at least getting enough that I only had to supp once today with formula, and I'm not really certain he even needed that ounce. I know he won't need to eat this often as he gets a bit older, but it's really going to be a challenge to do this right now. I hope I can manage it!

[bumblebeej]

Hi, I just wanted to check in with everyone. I'm 21 weeks pg and have a lil bit of colostrum if I squeeze! :

How is everyone else doing?

[SleepyMamaBear]

nursing for 11 days now!
using the lact-aid for the supplimenting.
she is taking 15or so oz a day of donor milkies.
she LOVES to nurse.
our nursing routine is nurse on both sides first, then nurse with the lact-aid on both sides, then nurse both sides again bare. we are nursing for HOURS on end. which is ok, cause she needs the milkies and i have a sling or two and can sling and nurse at the same time. in fact i am NAKing right now
i am taking an herbal tincture with fennugreek, goats rue, and blessed thistle as well as some other herbs. drinking tons of water and eating an oat based meal once a day (oatmeal or oat cereal)
i am getting some Domperidone soon too. hopefully with the dpd i will be able to drop her suppliment down.
and in 24 hours she gained 4 oz!!!!

[bdavis337]

WOW, Tiffany, that's fantastic!!! Have you done a before/after at all? I'm working with the breastfeeding clinic in my community, and I love them. Last week, MT was getting about .5 oz from me at each feed, and he wasn't gaining weight, so I've upped my supplements and started taking blessed thistle, fenugreek and alfalfa and I can tell my supply is up for sure. He's still taking 3 oz in supp every feeding, and goes 3 hours between eating, probably b/c of the formula.

I can't wait to hear more from you, and how Niamh is doing! MT does LOVE to nurse as well, and for the past few days it's the only way he'll fall asleep anymore!

[SleepyMamaBear]

we arent doing before and after weights. just one weight check a day before the first feeding of the day.
she is just nursing as long as she wants af often as she wants.
which is most of the time
BFARing is hard work! but SO worth it

[bluegrassgirl]

I know what you all mean about hospital nurses. When I had Emma, the nurses at the local hospital were rather snobby and insistent that "one bottle won't hurt her" and "you really need your rest". I think they got sick of me complaining to them that this was not their kid and they weren't gonna raise her here, that they finally left me alone. But, the last day I was in the hospital, I took all of the formula stuff out of that diaper bag thing they give you, and the early morning nurse didn't think a thing of it. She just picked up all the stuff and walked out of the room with it.
I did buy one of those feeding spoons just for feeding expressed milk or formula, and my girls liked this better than a bottle when I was at college pumping. Another thing you guys might try for formula is that Adiri Breastbottle Nurser. I have read several good things about this nurser and how it helps develop the jaw muscles like breastfeeding does and stuff like that.

If I had another baby and had to formula feed them (like if I was on a medicine that wasn't adaptable with breastfeeding or something like that), I'd use that organic formula I see on the store shelves or goats milk formula, so it wouldn't cause as much problems with digestion as cows milk formula does.

Jessie
(single mommy to Emma, 3 years and Angela, 2 years)
: : :

[Da WIC Lady]

Originally Posted by AddysMama

Fyrestorm, s for you too mama.
its a tough road, not being able to give our children what they need to survive, having to settle for second(or really fourth) best with formula.

I remember seeing that on a WHO page and have been kicking myself for not bookmarking it. Do you have a link to the source?

Anna

[bumblebeej]

Great job Tiffany!

[SleepyMamaBear]

thanks two months going strong!
she is relly a porker boobybaby

[bdavis337]

Congrats on your 2 month anniversary, Tiffany!

J is slowly working his way away from my breasts, and I knew this would happen, but I'm more disappointed than I thought I'd be this time around. He's nearly 10 weeks old, I'm soooo happy for how much breastmilk and booby time he's had. I was hoping to make it to 3 months, and he's still nursing during his evening fussy times, and first thing in the morning, but during the day he doesn't want anything to do with them. I'm so happy we've come this far, and I hope you're able to go as far as you and Niamh can go together!

[DoomaYula]

Hi all, I'm another BFAR mom, but I had a terrible experience with dd -- not her fault --

She was born at a hospital, she was fine and perfect and I bf'ed her just fine for 3w with the help of domperidone. One day I woke up in PAIN. I knew something was wrong, so I went to the hospital. It was my gallbladder. I told the doc I was nursing and would NOT stop nursing, so he gave me painkillers that were acceptable and I had the surgery and was back home and nursing in 24h.

Then I developed post-op complications.

I had more pain, a fever, and went back to the hospital. It was an infection that they could not get under control. I wanted dd with me so I could nurse her but the hospital told me that I couldn't have a 3w old infant there because there were too many sick people in the hospital (wtf?!?!? she can be BORN in a hospital but she can't stay with me in one?!?!?) I was alone in the hospital for over a week.

I didn't know anyone who bf'ed, was fairly new to the area, and didn't have any connections. The docs and nurses suggested I dry up.

I caved, and I dried up.

I cried and cried and cried. I did my best to bottle-feed with love and care and cuddles, but even so, I totally mourn our bf'ing relationship. It's been over 2y and it's still the biggest regret of my LIFE. I honestly feel like dd missed so much!

I'm pregnant and due next week, planning a homebirth. I'm also a doula now, and very active with LLL and also on the BFAR boards, so I WILL bf this baby. I have a ton of dom. I have the support of my dh and my fam. My bff is still bfing her 18mos ds, and she's told me that if ANYTHING happens where I'm separated from my baby and can't bf for some reason, she'll nurse my baby or at least provide donor milk until I can bf. I also have a client who has offered donor milk.